Why I’m Sick of ‘Jenner Approved’ Trends

Why I’m Tired of Hearing the Jenner Name

My friend Yasmin deserves all of the credit for this post because she is the one who brought this to my attention. There are ‘trends’ then there are ‘Jenner approved trends’ and they are absolutely everywhere. The Jenner seal of approval is stamped onto trends that have been worn for years whilst the Jenner’s were still in diapers. The latest trend? Underboob. When I think of underboob I’m reminded of Emily Ratajowski that gorgeous model in Gone Girl and in Robin Thicke’s controversial Blurred Lines video. I don’t think of Kendall Jenner. It seems like the Jenner seal of approval is needed for everything and here is why I have a problem with it.

There are always going to be ‘it’ girls. Before Kendall and Kylie it was Cara Delevingne. Every trend was ‘Cara approved’ or ‘Cara inspired’ and now its the Jenner name that is used for clickbait on every glossy magazine’s website or twitter account. My issue with the fact that everything needs to be Jenner approved is that these trends have existed way before they were in the spotlight and have been pulled off by women who are now incredibly overlooked.

Boo Hoo, someone got kicked out of the spotlight by Kendall/Kylie, does it matter? I hear you ask. In some cases, yes, it really does. The reason why is that some of the ‘trends’ the Jenner’s are pulling off and effectively trying to make them their own are actually not theirs to belong with and for good reason. Take Kylie Jenner braiding her hair into cornrows: “Kylie Jenner rocks cornrows”. Whereas black women who wear dreadlocks, such as Zendaya, are labelled as thugs . Take Giuliana Rancic’s comment that Zendaya looks like she “smokes weed” because of her hair. It’s ‘edgy’ when Kylie does it, when Zendaya does it its thuggish and inappropriate. As Hunger Games Amandla Stenberg commented:

‘When u appropriate black features and culture but fail to use ur position of power to help black Americans by directing attention towards ur wigs instead of police brutality or racism #whitegirlsdoitbetter [sic].’

And Kylie’s response of: ‘Mad if I don’t, Mad if I do…. Go hang w Jaden or something.’

Quite frankly, the Jenner’s just don’t understand that what they are doing is perpetuating a culture where white women can pull off an aspect of black culture and call it an ‘edgy trend’ whereas if POC attempt to identify with their own culture they get slammed for it. ‘Go hang w Jaden or something’ is dismissive and condescending. If someone is angry with you for appropriating their culture which you have no part in, then you are in no position to tell them that they are wrong or invalidate their opinion in that way.

This is all old news. The Jenner’s are of course still appropriating black culture because dating rappers and being into that culture is ‘cool’. Just so long as you don’t have to deal with the negatives of being in that culture. Which the Jenner’s can escape from because they aren’t in that culture, they have an opt-out option that POC don’t have.

So why am I so mad about this? I’m not a POC, after all? I’m mad because I don’t feel as though Kendall and Kylie actually have any real ‘style’. Kendall is a model, sure, she looks great. But she hasn’t invented any trend. She hasn’t brought anything new to the fashion world. The same with Kylie although I recognise Kylie is more of a beauty trendsetter. What ‘trend’ has she set? The Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge? That’s nothing to be proud of. I’m mad because I don’t think these women deserve the credit for paving ways into the fashion and beauty world. They aren’t creating a new path, they are walking the same walk other women have done a before. It is their name that’s plastered on so many magazine articles and billboards and it shouldn’t be.

I respect them as a model and as a businesswoman. But they’re getting credit for things where it isn’t deserved simply because women are lapping up everything ‘Jenner’ left, right & centre.

Long story short. I don’t dislike them but I’m sick of hearing the name Jenner. Would love to hear your thoughts!

If you liked this post, you may like...

Reader Interactions

Comments

I hope you don’t mind but I would like to um suggest a change to your post. You mention the incident with Guiliana Rancic and Zendaya. Zendaya was actually wearing faux dreadlocks not cornrows. Kylie Jenner has also worn dreadlocks herself, so you’re point is still correct/accurate. Also you mentioned woc wearing cornrows (and being called thugs) and it’s not woc who wear corn rows and get treated like that, it’s black women. I hope this doesn’t come off as me being bossy/rude, I just wanted you to know there was some problems with terminology.

Other than that you wrote a good post about the issues that woc have bought up about the problems with the fashion/trends that are accredited to the Jenner girls. They just keep on collumbusing very normal/ordinary hairstyles,fashion,makeup things within black culture (and other cultures too, I just know of the things that are specific to black culture) and allow others to herald them as being the inventor of it. They actively participate in cultural appropriation and despite being told about it time and time again, they keep on doing it. I mean their by no means the first and only celebrities to do such things, but their very visible celebrities at this moment in time.

I understand the way you use poc throughout the post, it was just that part in which I wanted to bring to your attention. Thank you for changing it. And thank you for assuring me that I wasn’t being rude, I was worried I would come off that way!

I completely agree, I just saw a bunch of people on social media praising one of the Jenners for wearing a hijab “style” recently but Muslim women are constantly put down for it and even threatened for it. I don’t really mind them but because they’re mentioned in every article about every little thing they do I get very tired of hearing about them.

I do think that they are getting ‘credit’ for things that aren’t at all original, but at the same time I do think that to a degree they’re not necessarily asking for all of this. The media take the ‘flavour of the month’ which is currently the Kardashians/Jenners and just twists everything they do into content, ideas and products that they can sell to people who don’t realise what they’re doing. A year from now it’ll be someone new and they’ll be saying they invented t-shirts or something ridiculous like that.

Which is why the post isn’t an attack on the Jenner’s at all because they aren’t to blame. This is just a complaint that I’m tired of their name being attached to every trend. Although, they are completely culpable for the cultural appropriation they participate in.

This post is so on point! They are both beautiful girls, but anyone would be stylish with their budget and resources. Think of all the shoppers and stylists at their disposal. Ok so some outfits they do themselves, if you look they wear quite simple outfits and with the much money, your bound to be able to pick something that looks good and on trend! They are celebs yes, but next year there will be two new starlets to take their place.

This point is on pointttttt, girl preachhhh!! It so nice to see that other who aren’t POC are highlighting the points and spreading that awareness of current media situations that are going on. I feel like the kardashians/Jenners is all the media focus on and tbh i’m getting bored now – i need something new!

Agreeing with EVERYTHING in this post! Literally so happy to see you publish this, so glad I found this post! The Jenners literally steal cultures for a living. There was the case of Kylie stealing designs from a black-owned business earlier this year that sent her clothes as a gift. Madness! They really don’t have genuine style or an original thought, haha! xxx